Railway mail delivery



H. E. SMITH.

RAILWAY MAIL DELIVERY.

APPLICATiON FILED JULY 28.1929.

1,363,366, Patented Dec. 28,1920."

UNITED STATE$ PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT E. SMITH, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO SPOKANE MAIL EQUIPIVIENT GOMFAN'Y, 0F SPOKANE, WASHINGTON,

BAILVIAY MAIL DELIVERY.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HERBERT E. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Ba1lway Mail Delivery, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in railway mail delivery and p artlcularly to the station apparatus or equipment for receiving the mail pouches from a passing train and delivering other pouches to, the passing train, the primary ob ect of the invention being the provision of an appa ratus that is simple in construction and operation, comparatively inexpensive in cost,

durable, and well qualified for the efficient, and accurate performance of its required functions.

In the accompanying drawings one complete embodiment of the invention is illustrated, the parts exemplifying the device as in actual and successful operation for exchanging mail matter on the railroads, and the invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts whereby the device accomplishes its purpose and attains its objects. p

Figure 1 is a perspective View showing the device installed alongside the ra1lway and having a mail pouch supported thereby ready for exchange with a passing train.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail, side elevation of the operating parts of the device, at the top of the pedestal orsupport, showing the apparatus, as in Fig 1, wlth the parts retained in proper position for exchange.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the cap, with its retaining recess, at the top of the standard for holding the apparatus in projected position. I

Fig. 4 is a side View of the flexible, resilient, support for the lower end of the pouch when held as in Fig. 1.

The apparatus as in actual use is depicted in the drawings and the operating parts are supported at the upper end of a metal pipe or hollow standard 1 preferably supported and embedded in the concrete base 2 situated at proper distance from the outer rail of the track, and the final adjustment of the operating parts, with relation to the passing cars for clearance, is provided for in the station equipment as Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

Application filed. July 28, 1919. Serial No. 313,935.

will be hereinafter pointed out. A platform 3 and steps 4 are provided to give access to the elevated parts of the device so that the device and mail pouches may be handled with facility when preparing for exchange of mails.

At the upper end of the hollow standard a revoluble head 5 is provided that may osclllate or swing on the post 6 which proects up above the top of the standard and is rigidly and securely supported within the standard as seen in F ig. 2 :to provide a base of operation for the mail exchanging apparatus, and it will be understood that the exchange apparatus may swing on the post, through the medium of the head, to projected or operative position, or be retracted to inoperative position.

The rotatable head isfashioned with an integral forked bracket 7 in which the lower arm 8 and the upper arm 9 are adjustably secured inorder to adapt the apparatus at the required distance from the passing railroad cars, and as seen in Fig. 1 the lower arm extends while the upper arm extends out horizontally from the standard to support a mail pouch that is to be exchanged and delivered to the passing train.

The mail pouch 10 is of usual standard design having the reduced waist, and at the upper and lower ends is fashioned with the customary retention ring 11 fitting over the hook 12 of the upper arm and over the hook 13 of the lower arm in which the pouch is supported. In Fig. a especially it will be observed that the lower hook 13 is fashioned at the end of a coiled spring 14, and the opposite end of this spring is fastened by the screw 15 over the end of the arm 8, the

downwardly and outwardly over the end of the arm to insure a stable support thereon. A reinforcing spring 16, shorter than the spring 14, is located within the latter spring and secured over the horn 17 at the extremity of the arm, and the tendency of both springs is to turn downwardly. Thus, the pouch, with the apparatus in projected position, has its rings slipped over the upper and lower hooks l2 and 18, and while the upper hook 12 may be rigid, it will be apparent that theiower hook 13 is resiliently attached to its arm, so that when the pouch is doubled-up by the impact of the receiving forkon the car, an upward pull is permitted on the spring 14 and it'is bent upwardly allowing the ring 11 to slip freely over the end of the hook 13. The springs 14-16 however have sufiicient tension to hold the pouch in proper sup ported position between the two arms while awaiting the transfer tothe forked receiver on the car, which receiver'may be of the type shown at F and F in Fig. land forming part of the upper supporting arm 9.

The delivery device described is oscillatable on its axis 6 and is spring-actuated to return it to retracted position and to hold it there, but is equipped with a pneumatic device for absorbing the shock of im- 15 pact from the passing train, the pneumatic device including the cylinder 18, the stem 19 and piston orplunger 20 inside the piston,

the parts being suspended between the outwardly projected bracket arm 21, and the post 22 on the bracket arm 7 of the delivery device. The cylinder has the usual small ports to permit slow escape of air, and the air absorbs the power of the moving parts due to impact, as the plunger compresses the air within the cylinder in usual manner, the area of the plunger head being of such proportion to the escape port in the end of i the cylinder as to insure the proper opera i tion of this pneumatic device when the delivery arms are swung on their pivot head, as to sto its movement at the proper time.

A contractile spring 23 is stretched be- A I tween the adjustable clamp ring 24 on the cylinder and the rigid part 25 on the post '22 to urge the delivery device always to retracted position with relation to the car door, and the stem 19 which has an eye26 slipped over the post portion 25 performs the function of a latch in the retentionof 40 the projected delivery device, to hold it against the pressure ofthe wmd or against air currents created by passing trains. To

ride to and from the notch and it will be apparent that the spring25 on the pin 25 'will permit the upward movement of the latch which moves bodily withthepiston and cylinder, the latter swinging upward on the pivotal point 29 on the end of the bracket arm 21.

The latch keeper is fashioned as a flange or web on the cap 29 whichis secured at the top of the post 6 and not only performs the. functions of a keeper but holds the rotatable head of the delivery device down in position to oscillate or swing. 55 I From the above description taken in con-- a this end a spring 25 is employed about the tion apparatus to the passing mail car, and

provision is also made for receiving mail from the passing car, this latter mail receiving meansforming the subject matter of a contemporary application for patent. The mail exchange, device carriedby a rail- 30 way car, to co-act with this deliverydevice from the station, also forms the subject matter ofa contemporary application for patent. i

Having thus described my invention, what 5 I claim as newand desire to secure by Let.- ters Patent is 7' l. The combination in a mail delivery de vice with the rotatable head, offa rigid, upper horizontal" arm. projecting. from said head, and .a lower, rigid,diverging arm on saidhead, means for retracting the arms, means for absorbing the. shock of impact, and means cooperating with the shock absorbing means for holding the arms in projected position. 7 V

12. The combination with. the rotatable head and supporting arms thereon, of a pneumatic. cylinder, piston and stem for absorbing the shock of impact, means for retracting the arms, and a cap on the head havinga depression co-acting with said piston stem for retaining the arms in projected positiorn: a i i The combination with'the rotatable de livery device and its supporting standard, of, a pneumatic device for absorbingthe shock of impact, and means .co-acting with said. pneumatic device for retaining the delivery device in projected position.

4;. The combinationwith the rotatable delivery device andits supportingstandard,

of a cooperating cylinder and piston suspended between said'deviceand standard, and means co-acting with the piston for retaining the delivery device in projected position. 7

5. The combination'with the rotatable delivery device and its standard and a keeper on the standard, of a cooperatingrcylindei' and piston and stem suspended between said members to receive shock'of impact, and means'for holding said stem in the keeper for retaining the delivery device in projectedposition. 1

6. The combination with the rotatable delivery. device, the standard and a notched keeper thereon formed with oppositely arrangedcam faces, of a cooperating 'cylinder, piston and its stem suspendedbetween said 130 device and the standard to receive shock of impact, and resilient means bearing on the stem to cause it to co-act with said cam edges, and engage the notched keeper to retain the delivery device in projected position.

7. The combination with the rotatable delivery device and a suitably supported contractile spring for holding the device in retracted position, a supporting standard for the device and a notched keeper thereon having opposite cam faces, a cooperating cylinder, piston and stem suspended between the standard and device to receive the shock 15 of impact, a suitable supported spring hearing on the stem to cause it to co-act with said cam edges, and engage the notched keeper to retain the delivery device in projected position.

8. The combination with the standard and rotatable delivery device including the head and'bracket thereon, of a pair of rigid diverging pouch supporting arms projecting from the bracket, a pouch hook on the upper arm, and a resilient end hook on the lower arm adapted to support the Pouch, and to release it under pressure.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HERBERT E. SMITH. 

